AO Smith Effex Review

Effex high efficiency gas
water heaters GAHH-40 and GAHH-50

See how AO Smith Effex water
heaters, GAHH-40
and GAHH-50, are, thanks
to its superior design and advanced features, among the most energy
efficient atmospheric gas water heaters on the market today. This
review will help you decide buying the right model.

Available models

Effex series
features
two
models
for residential water heating: GAHH-40
as a 40-gallon
and GAHH-50
as a 50-gallon
water heater, both models designed to use natural gas
and
generate 40,000 Btu/hr, which is sufficient for heating water in 2-3
bath homes. High value of the energy factor, which is
0.70, makes these units to comply with the Energy
Star standards that require the
energy
factor of minimum 0.67.

The difference between these two water heaters is not only in
their
size, weight and capacity, but First Hour Delivery: 70 GPH for the
40-gallon model GAHH-40 and 81 GPH
for the 50-gallon model GAHH-50. Recovery rate at 90 F rise is the same
and is 43 gallons per hour, and they can be used to maximum elevation
of
10,100 ft. above the sea level.

Both 40 and 50-gallon Effex models come
with the standard
6-year
warranty for
the water heater tank and parts. You can buy
Effex here.

Great features on AO Smith Effex

AO
Smith Effex water heaters use the
pressurized combustion chamber where the advanced air
intake blower distributes an optimum mixture of air and gas for the
high performance.

As
the Effex is an atmospheric gas water heater but
fan assisted, the
pressure
created inside the combustion chamber forces the exhaust gases through
the flue and out. The patented air intake system and pressurized
environment help the heater to extract more heat from the flue gases
while it passes through.

This is what allows Effex
water heaters
to offer high efficiency and performance where more heat is transferred
to
the water, and less energy is lost. Effex
energy factor of 0.70 is one of the highest for tank type gas water
heaters.

Ignition

Effex GAHH-40 and GAHH-50
are
not using a standing
pilot as
majority of the conventional gas
water heaters, they are using much
better
electronic ignition that
is known as hot surface ignition.

Anode rod

Another great improvement
in
Effex series of tank-type water heaters is that AO
Smith removed the
standard
type anode
rod,
which deteriorates during the time. Now, AO Smith Effex
series uses powered
anode rod that shows great results in protecting the tank from rust
while providing an excellent performance in all water conditions. This
powered
anode rod is a permanent design so it doesn't need replacement as long
as the rod is not damaged.

Dip tube

DynaClean
diffuser dip
tube
is still present as on most of the AO Smith gas water
heaters and what it does is that it reduces the lime and sediment
buildup inside the tank, by creating the turbulent water flow.

Burner

The gas burner is still
"Green Choice",
an Eco-friendly element that helps in reducing the NOx emission by 33%.
Both models are FVIR compliant, they are designed according to
the Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant standards.

LCD display

LCD
display is a neat feature, not often found on conventional tank-type
heaters and it allows you to check and set the temperature, while the
unit problems are presented through the diagnostic codes.

Installing AO Smith Effex is as easy as the
conventional type; it can
use existing venting connections where the vent size is 3 and 4",
making it great for replacements.

Since the Effex is relatively new
product, there are not
many online reviews. Those that I have found were mainly positive.
One of the users praised the feature which includes the vacation mode
which helps in reducing the fuel consumption. Other positives were
related to the high efficiency and recovery. One of the negatives that
was often mentioned was the noise (not too loud though) made by the air
injector.

AO Smith
Effex
water heaters are coming from North America’s leading
manufacturer of residential and commercial water heaters. Effex
offers superior design, and it provides one of the highest energy
efficiencies in water heating industry. With the superior heat
transfer, Effex water heater gives the maximum
performances and savings
up to 25% when comparing to the conventional tank-type gas water
heaters. This is why this is a great option for those who are replacing
the old inefficient water heater.

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